Golfweek has named 11 Nicklaus Design courses to its 2016 list of the “Best: Modern Courses.” The list includes only courses designed from 1960 to present. Jack Nicklaus got his start in golf course design at Harbour Town Golf Links, a design collaboration with Pete Dye that opened in 1969 and comes in at No. 47 on the list. In the year since, Jack Nicklaus has personally worked on more than 290 of his firm’s 398 golf courses worldwide.
Five Nicklaus Design courses are either new to the list or improved their ranking in the biennial list, including Top 100 newcomers or returners Manele (No. 71), Country Club of the Rockies (82), and Valhalla (83). The biggest jumper was Shoal Creek, which has been renovated in recent years by the Golden Bear, and is currently at No. 51–19 spots up from its 2014 ranking.
Golfweek also released its list of the Best: Modern Courses 2016, Next 100. An additional 10 Nicklaus Design courses were included in the Next 100. Overall, more than one out of every 10 courses named to the lists is a Nicklaus Design layout. The following Modern Courses list includes each course’s prior 2014 rank in parentheses:
- 7. (7) Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.
- 12. (10) Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
- 32. (40) Whispering Pines, Trinity, Texas
- 46. (45) Castle Pines Golf Club, Castle Rock, Colo.
- 47. (42) Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
- 51. (70) Shoal Creek, Birmingham, Ala.
- 59. (47) Mayacama Golf Club, Santa Rosa, Calif.
- 71. (NR) Manele Golf Club, Lanai, Hawaii
- 81. (80) Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla.
- 82. (NR) Country Club of the Rockies, Edwards, Colo.
- 83 (NR) Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky.
Golfweek’s Best Modern Courses, 2016 Next 100
- 114. Spring Creek Ranch, Colliersville, Tenn.
- 117. Hokulia, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- 126. May River Course at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C.
- 154. Sherwood CC, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
- 163. Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, New York, N.Y.
- 166. The Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Fla.
- 167. Desert Highlands, Scottsdale, Ariz.
- 168. Dalhousie Golf Club, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
- 189. Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain (Saguaro and Tortolita), Marana, Ariz.
- 191. Promontory (Painted Valley), Park City, Utah
